Simple Utah Mormon Politics

The Jump Shot Coulda, shoulda, woulda. I suck! If only... It seems we're far too often living in the past.  Instead of wasting time wondering why we made this or that mistake or about what could have been, it's much more productive to recalibrate.

Citizens of authoritarian regimes already depend heavily on government for the many of the basics of life. That's why sanctions against the authoritarian regimes don't hurt the regimes themselves--they only decimate the already subjected peoples. Iraq is but one great example of this phenomenon. Recently passed and continuing sanctions against Iran are a mistake that is becoming larger and larger.

At one point in the mid-1990's, Osama bin Laden was persona non grata in just about any place in the world. Imperiled by the Monica Lewinsky scandal, however, United States President Bill Clinton's face saving missile attacks on the Sudan and Afghanistan changed bin Laden's fortunes. In very short order, bin Laden was a Middle Eastern rock star. So, you see, Bill Clinton's impeachment wasn't just about sex.

Three of the greatest oil disasters in the history of the world.  Leaders of the pack when it comes to willful violations of safety when it comes to oil production.  Is "British Petroleum", which has now styled itself as "Beyond Petroleum," spending so much time and effort on being "green" that it is neglecting its more important responsibilities?

Something that happened to me years ago in the military gave me a very good perspective on what it means to be a minority.

The Greek economic tragedy is proving several truths. (1) "Too Big to Fail" is a dangerous lie.  (2) Socialist welfare schemes invariably fail. (3) Establishment solutions to problems do not solve the problems, because they are not intended to. Rather they push the problems down the road, enriching the Establishment elite in the process. (4) Moral hazard makes people stupid, and (5) If we don't quickly learn these lessons, bailouts will become more and more common--until there is no one left to perpetuate the charade.

Forgotten amid the debate as to whether the federal government should be the one to provide for the poor is the reality that we Americans still have more than our share of poor among us.  The irony likely escapes many of us who think of ourselves as an exceptional nation--as a shining city on a hill.  No matter how we hope to approach the much needed solution, the reality is that the American house of cards is built on too much empire and too little charity.  In order to survive the coming economic storm, we have one alternative--to become more giving. Americans can learn a great lesson from the example of the LDS Church Welfare system.